I think that
richness is not necessary for a happy life, at all.
However, seeing the current situation of my family and me (middle-low economical class) and remembering a time when we were actually poor (we couldn't even get enough money to buy food!) and when many years ago we were in a Middle-High class situation (with the oportunity to even travel to Europe more than once), I can tell you that I learned that on this corporative and hyper-capitalist world, money is needed to get some level of happiness.
Granted, is not the spiritual happiness and bliss you get from the Dhamma, but I can tell that having at least some money to live
comfortably makes wonders!
The heavy stress, desperation and helplessness you feel when you're poor in an urban environment is truly devastating, in my own experience (and it could have been worse! at the least we have a house of our own).
Perhaps pursuing way too much money is really a stupid thing to do, and to waste it on unnecesary luxuries just for vanity and auto-indulgency is even worse.
But I can tell you, that in an urban place, pursuing to gain some money to live with basic comfort, services, enough and
varied food (important!) and a nice place to live is almost a must, as it certainly brings you calmness, health and happiness, even to practice the Dhamma better.
As an example, when we were poor and long before I became Buddhist, I can totally confess that I broke the second precept more than once to get some extra food for the family.
I remember that both my sister and me had to pick up cheesse secretly and behind our clothes from the local stores to have something extra to eat (besides beans, rice and tortillas).